


An Artistic Way

by giftedwiththought



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-09 23:03:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7820698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giftedwiththought/pseuds/giftedwiththought
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh had frequented the same coffee shop, ordered the same drink, and followed the same routine every morning for the past 2 years. He knew every corner of the cafe and every customer that had ever bothered to stop by, yet suddenly the shop is blessed with an unanticipated visitor. Tyler Joseph was unlike anyone he'd ever met, and within a few songs and cups of coffee, Josh's life is granted a happiness he'd never felt before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Josh meets Tyler for the first time

Josh Dun always loved the atmosphere of his coffee shop. Well, it wasn't actually his; he didn't even work there, but he liked to think he'd visited it enough times for it to play a significant role in his life. He loved the scent of fresh coffee the minute he walked through the door, and he loved the way that the quiet chatter and laughter of the place engulfed his presence and made him feel like he was a part of something, rather than an outsider. It was his favourite place to visit, the place that really made him feel alive in the mornings.

Each day he would wake up, throw on some clothes, and head down the street to the coffee shop where he would order a black coffee and would sit reading a good book or listening to his favourite music. Some days, he would stay in the cafe all day to work on the latest article for his magazine. Again, it wasn't his magazine; he only got paid for the weekly articles he contributed, but it didn't matter because it was motivation for him to get up in the mornings. It didn't particularly matter that he didn't have many friends either, or that his job only earned him enough to scrape a living, because he was content with his life. There were no surprises, no unexpected arrivals around the corner, and that was the way Josh liked it. Until now.

It was a rainy Sunday morning when he walked in. The cafe was fairly busy, and Josh was sipping his usual coffee and reading the new book he bought, wind whistling through the keyhole and thunder rattling the windows. The door opened with a gust of wind, rain hitting Josh square in the face as he looked up from the sofa in annoyance. Suddenly, the most beautiful person Josh had ever seen in his entire life walked in. _Bloody hell_ , he thought, wiping water from his eyes and blinking rapidly.  _That’s a face to remember._  The man was soaked to the bone and shivering, but Josh was fixated on the way his brown eyes darted around the room and his hands fiddled nervously with the floral kimono he wore, as if he shared the same anxieties that Josh felt. He found himself wondering that maybe he wasn't alone with his thoughts and constant anxiety. Josh kept his eyes on this new arrival as he shook his head, sat down on the opposite side of the room, and removed the bag from his back. He wasn't that tall in stature, and he didn't have the most prominent muscles, but his thought provoking tattoos and beautifully flawless face captured Josh's attention like he was the only person in the room. The man's eyes glanced up, and Josh met them before lowering his gaze to the book on his lap. A blush began to spread across his cheeks at the notion of being caught staring. He didn't regret it though. This man was just too intriguing not to admire.

The rest of Josh's stay was spent in great discomfort. He couldn't concentrate on his book. He couldn't concentrate on his coffee. He could only concentrate on the painfully hot guy sitting opposite him. Every little detail he noticed just seemed to make this man more and more attractive, the coffee he bought (of course, the same as Josh's), the shirt he wore (stylish, and tormentingly see through from the rain), and the tiny smiles he made every time he caught Josh staring at him. It was impossible not to feel attracted to him. Josh had been playing out scenarios in his head for the past hour; scenarios where he introduced himself to the man, or maybe even where he spilt lukewarm coffee onto his shirt and insisted that he take the liberty of washing it off himself. They all appealed to Josh, but suddenly he was painfully aware of how messy his hair was, and of how ugly his outfit felt. There was no kidding himself. No one would never want to be friends with him, let alone anything more.

He sighed, and his book slid off his lap and onto the floor. In a flash, it was picked up and handed to it to him with the offer of a handshake. Josh looked up in a daze. Brilliant. The man with the beautiful face and the floral kimono was standing next to him, a smile upon his face. Cursing inwardly, colour rushed to Josh's face. 

"I'm Tyler," the man smiled shyly, and suddenly he didn't seem so difficult to approach.

"Josh," he returned, shaking his hand. Their skin connected, and Josh bit his lip a little, as if he couldn't really believe it was happening. As quickly as he arrived, Tyler was beginning to return to the other side of the room, and Josh felt himself willing him to stay. 

"Wait," he blurted out. Tyler turned around in surprise. "You could sit over here with me? If you want to," Josh laughed nervously, gesturing to the sofa.

"Yeah okay, I'll just go and grab my bag." To his surprise, Tyler's face brightened up, and he rushed to retrieve his bag before sitting next to Josh. He could hardly believe it. 

Twenty minutes and a coffee later, Josh had probably fell half in love with Tyler already. Apparently, he made money performing in cafes and pubs around Ohio, surprisingly where they'd both grown up. 

"It's amazing that our paths haven't crossed already," Josh had said. "I wouldn't have forgotten a face like yours." He'd turned red at that accidental flirting, but Tyler didn't seem to mind; it was almost as if he enjoyed making Josh blush, touching his arm and whispering in his ear at every opportunity he got. Even as they parted, Tyler had given Josh his phone number.  _It's impossible that he feels the same attraction though,_  Josh had thought, _if I hadn't dropped my book, I'd be invisible to him._ Yet however negatively Josh thought, he couldn't deny that he and Tyler got along like a house on fire. It was almost as if destiny had brought them together. 

As Josh lay in bed that night, he could think of nothing but Tyler. It was strange that after all these years he had met someone that turned out to be a little more than an acquaintance. Someone that he really liked. He'd even given him his phone number. Images of Tyler smiling, Tyler whispering in his ear, Tyler's shirt wet from the rain flashed in his head when he closed his eyes. His heart was already skipping a few beats, beating faster every time he thought of the relationship he secretly wanted. The relationship he might be able to have.  _Stop, he doesn't want you like that,_ the voice of reason told him when his mind began to wander.  _But he might_. Josh groaned and pulled the duvet up to his chin. He would just have to see how things worked out. His mind filled with the day's occurrences, he gradually drifted off to sleep. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY I promise the second chapter will have more fluff


	2. Chapter 2

Thin slivers of sunlight were peeping through the curtains, and the morning was already looking frosty and cold. It only felt about 7AM , but Josh had experienced a pretty much sleepless night. Rolling over in bed, he checked his phone. 

**_1 missed call, 3 new messages_ **

Josh sat bold upright, his heart racing. They couldn't be from Tyler, could they? He hurriedly unlocked his screen and opened the messages.

_ **Tyler Joseph: 1AM** _

_This is Josh right?_

_**Tyler Joseph: 1:10AM**  
_

_Come onnnn I can't sleep_

**_Tyler Joseph: 1:12AM_ **

_Would you want to meet me tomorrow? The coffee shop?_

Josh could barely breathe. He cursed out loud at himself, realising that he must have had his phone on silent last night. He couldn't believe that Tyler wanted to meet him again, he usually found it difficult to make friends, but Tyler seemed to really like him.

He typed a quick text back, asking if 9 o'clock was a good time to meet, before heading into the shower and changing into a deliberately good outfit. He had considered dying his hair, but he wasn't sure which colour would suit him. Usually, he wouldn't dare do something so out of his comfort zone, but it seemed as if Tyler was giving him the courage to come out of his shell. 

When he arrived at the coffee shop a little early, he quickly ran into the bathroom and checked his reflection. He had carefully styled his hair and he wore ripped skinny jeans with a pale shirt; hints of red eye shadow lingered upon his eyelids. He wanted to look his best if he were to see Tyler again. Josh had felt something for his new friend that made him feel slightly more alive than usual, and the awful insecurities he felt last time they met had made him feel like he was suffocating. He wanted to make the best impression possible. 

Josh returned to his usual sofa, and he ordered his favourite drink to calm him down a little as he waited for Tyler. Soon enough, he arrived, and they both began to talk, the conversation as natural as it had felt the first time they met. 

"So how's your songwriting going?" Josh asked him as soon as they had both settled down with a drink. 

"Better than usual, actually," Tyler bit his lip modestly, and Josh blushed a little as he glanced at his mouth. "I've had a bit of a wave of inspiration."

"How come?" 

"Just things that have happened recently... I don't know. How's your day been anyway?" For some reason, it seemed to be Tyler's turn to blush, and Josh stared at him in curiosity. He got the feeling that Tyler was avoiding the question. 

"It's been okay, I'm tired though - I couldn't sleep last night," he replied, shrugging. 

"I didn't sleep at all." Tyler grinned ruefully as Josh watched him down a shot of espresso. A drop of coffee escaped his lips and ran down the side of his chin. Unable to resist, Josh leaned forward automatically, wiping away the coffee and brushing his fingers along the side of Tyler's mouth. Without realised the explicitness of his actions, he stared, transfixed. Josh's fingers lingered on Tyler's lips. For a moment, Josh could have sworn that Tyler's breath sped up a little as their eyes met, but he pulled away when he realised what he was doing. 

"I'm sorry," Josh laughed awkwardly, looking away. 

"What? Nah don't be silly," his friend said as if nothing had passed between the two of them. _That's because nothing did_ , Josh thought to himself miserably. There was no hope.

After a few light conversations and another latte, they began to talk about books. Surprisingly, Josh found that like himself, Tyler enjoyed to read classics.

"Dude I had no idea you liked Austen!" Tyler cried excitedly, slamming his coffee cup down on the table.

"Yeah," Josh giggled. "I have a set of her novels back at my apartment."

"I really should read Persuasion, but I lost my copy and I'm banned from the library." Josh began to laugh even harder, resting his forehead on Tyler's shoulder for a brief moment that sent shivers down his spine.

"How the hell did you get banned from the library?"

"Apparently you need a permit to busk on their property, they kicked me out and threatened to report me to the police," he chuckled. 

"I'd love to hear you sing sometime." Josh had stopped laughing and smiled at Tyler shyly, ducking his head. Tyler grinned.

"Tell you what, if you lend me your copy of Persuasion, I'll sing for you," he said softly. Josh's heart began to race at the thought of the two of them alone. 

"It's a deal," his voice cracked a little as he replied. He cleared his throat. _Just say it,_ he told himself fiercely. 

"W-would you want to maybe come to my apartment tonight? I'll cook dinner, and we can follow up on that deal?" 

Tyler winked, and Josh turned a rather deep shade of red. _Goddamnit,_ he thought.  _Now it sounds like you're offering him sex._

"The book and the singing, I mean," he clarified, stumbling over his words. Tyler looked at him and burst into laughter. 

"Sure," he said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "I'd love to. 6 o'clock?"

"6 o'clock."

**********

Josh stood in his kitchen holding a pan and a bowl, neither of which contained food. Why on earth Josh offered to cook dinner he would never know. The most he'd ever cooked himself was beans on toast, yet here he stood holding a lasagne recipe and a limited range of ingredients. Despite having very little skill, Josh decided to give cooking a try anyway. Thirty minutes later, he stood wearing sweatpants and a floral apron, covered from head to toe with flour, a mediocre meal (that should have been lasagne but looked slightly more like soup) simmering away in the oven. 

To his dismay, the door bell rang. Tyler had arrived. Racing down the stairs and opening the door, Josh's heart seemed to simultaneously melt and drop as he saw his friend. Tyler was wearing black jeans paired with a fitted white shirt and blazer, his fingers fiddling with the bow tie on his collar; he looked a gorgeous mix of both smart and casual that made Josh feel quite dizzy. Obviously he was expecting a little more than Josh had anticipated.

"Oh, fuck," he blurted out. His eyes subconsciously roamed over Tyler's body. 

"I can see you weren't quite ready for me," Tyler laughed, instantly lightening the situation. Josh grinned, gesturing towards his flour covered outfit and tearing off the apron. Suddenly, he was painfully aware that he was wearing an apron without a shirt. Tyler's mouth seemed to open a little, and Josh silently thanked God that he'd taken the initiative to go to the gym recently. 

"Here." Tyler blinked a few times and leaned forwards, dusted the remaining flour from his chest. The sensation of Tyler's fingers upon his torso made Josh's breath quicken and his heart rate speed up. Their eyes connected for a moment, and just like the situation in the cafe earlier, Tyler's skin lingered on Josh's for a second before he pulled away. Had Tyler felt that connection as well? Or was it all just in his head? Josh cleared his throat.

"Come on, lets go inside."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo things are starting to pick up the pace now, leave a comment (and preferably kudos) to tell me what you guys think


	3. Chapter 3

Surprisingly, no more disasters followed the cooking incident. If Tyler had noticed that the lasagne was less than adequate, he didn't mention it, even going as far to compliment Josh on his cooking. They spent the evening talking about Tyler's music, Josh's writing, and other common interests that they shared. It seemed strange to Josh; they'd only really just met, and he already felt like they'd known each other for years. He couldn't really imagine not being friends with Tyler now he knew him so well, and Josh felt like he was the only person he could confide his anxieties and true feelings to. It was like Tyler would understand anything he felt, no matter how strange. 

When they had both finished their meal, Tyler immediately noticed the piano standing in the corner of Josh's living room, untouched and rather dusty from a prolonged lack of use. 

"I didn't know you had a piano?" he had asked Josh, running his fingers along the keys. 

"Yeah, it was my mom's, she passed it down to me. I can't play it, but I used to play the drums in college." Tyler looked up in surprise. 

"Sometimes I play piano while I sing - when I'm performing that is," he stumbled over his words a little, and Josh hid a smile when he saw Tyler's cheeks turn red. He began to feel rather bold, and offered the piano stool to Tyler.

"Well, you did say you would sing for me, didn't you?" Josh whispered in his ear, watching in strange satisfaction as goosebumps appeared on the back of Tyler's neck. Was this flirting? He wasn't sure. Tyler cleared his throat. 

"I did," he replied, gingerly sitting down in front of the piano. Josh settled down next to him, their elbows brushing slightly. Tyler cleared his throat once more and placed his fingers on the keys, beginning to play a rather haunting melody. Watching his fingers dance lightly across the piano, Josh felt his heart speed up as he heard Tyler begin to sing. The song was both haunting and beautiful, a soft melody and lyrics that seemed to represent everything Josh had ever felt. It was as if Tyler knew exactly what he was thinking. Josh watched his lips as he sang, and it felt like he was drowning in the music, falling even more in love with Tyler than he already was. How did this happen? He didn't know. All he knew was that he was so in love with Tyler Joseph that nothing else seemed to matter. Suddenly, he realised that the song had finished, and that he and Tyler was both staring each other with the same intensity mirrored in each others gaze. 

"Uh," Josh mumbled, trying to form a more comprehensible sentence. He couldn't stop thinking about the way Tyler's lips formed beautiful shapes as he sang, or the way his fingers looked so slender and elegant as they pressed down on the keys. Tyler dropped his gaze, and the moment was over. Josh couldn't help feeling a sharp stab of disappointment in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly, Tyler smiled.

"Did you like it?" he asked in a bashful manner. 

"I loved it." Deciding to take it a step further, Josh smiled a little. "Your singing is beautiful." For a moment, neither of them said anything, the unspoken magic from the song still lingering in the air. 

"So," Tyler said, breaking the silence once more. "I sang for you." He grinned. "You gonna lend me that book now?"

"Of course," Josh replied hurriedly, jumping up and retrieving his copy of Persuasion. He handed it to Tyler, who smiled in response. 

"What do you want to do now?" Tyler checked his watch. "It's only 8 o'clock, surely you wouldn't kick me out so early in the evening?" He elongated his syllables, pouting in a way that made Josh's heart beat a little faster. _Seriously,_ he thought to himself disapprovingly.  _If you carry on like this, you'll have a heart attack before the evening ends._

"We could watch a film if you like?" he offered. Tyler smiled, looking a little relieved as they both headed towards the sofa. 

"Sure." 

 

A short while later, they both sat on the sofa watching the latest Captain America film, another interest they both shared. For some of the evening, Josh had been working on his latest article, and Tyler had been scribbling in the lyric book he carried around with him, glancing up at each other at intervals in their silence. For some reason, it hadn’t been awkward, which seemed to be a first for Josh. The night was already growing dark, and only a few lamps lit the living room with a dim yellow glow; the smell of lasagne and cheap candles still rested in the air. It almost felt like a date to Josh, but he knew that Tyler's intentions of visiting his apartment were purely platonic. He could never hope for anything more, but that was okay because as long as Tyler was happy, so was Josh. 

"Hey, do you remember that bit in the last film, when-" Josh began to whisper, but stopped abruptly when he realised that Tyler had fallen asleep. He felt partly insulted that his evening was so boring it had reduced Tyler to sleep, and partly honoured that Tyler felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in his home. Josh looked down at his friend, Tyler's head resting on the cushion next to him, his chest rising and falling in slow motions. The closed lyric book lay upon his chest. His eyelashes rested on his pale cheeks, and Josh's mouth twitched up into a smile as he glanced over his face.  _God, he's so beautiful,_  he thought, mentally kicking himself at his lack of self control. Tyler would never think that about Josh.  _Stop,_ he told himself,  _this isn't the time._ What was he going to do? He didn't particularly want to wake him up, he looked so peaceful and happy lying there on Josh's couch.

Slowly, he slid his hands under Tyler's back and legs, lifting him off the couch gently. He winced as Tyler's breathing became a little shallower, but he was still pretty certain that his friend was asleep. Holding him close to his chest, Josh carried Tyler into his bedroom and lay him down upon his bed, drawing the soft duvet up to his chin. Tyler mumbled a little in his sleep.  _I guess I'll just sleep on the couch, I'm sure he won't mind staying here for the night,_ Josh told himself, putting his mind at ease.

Suddenly, as he began to move away, Tyler's hand reached out a little and caught Josh's fingers in his grip. Josh yelped and his gaze snapped down to Tyler, but his friend was still in a deep sleep. What was he doing? Josh could barely breathe. He tried to pull his hand away, feeling like he was somehow taking advantage, but Tyler pulled him closer still, continuing to mumble in his sleep. What was Josh going to do? He frantically tried to think, willing himself to calm down. Somehow, he would just have to stay with Tyler. He couldn't risk waking him up, not now.

Gingerly, he climbed over Tyler's sleeping form, and settled down in the space next to him. His heart was racing faster than it ever had before, and his whole face was bright red in colour. It was almost as if Tyler wanted him to stay, conscious or not. His mind was an odd mixture of elation and terror. He couldn't afford Tyler finding out about Josh's feelings for him. Not now they were such good friends. It just wasn't worth it. Josh lay on the bed next to Tyler, his head filled with a whole range of emotions. He willed himself to go to sleep. Somehow, after a few hours of reading, counting sheep, and singing Tyler's song to himself, Josh managed to finally fall asleep. It was probably the biggest mistake he had ever made. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagined that the song Tyler sang would be Truce, idk what do you think? Another chapter coming soon, don't forget to leave comments and kudos :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty long chapter I guess, enjoy friends!

Josh woke up. Like usual, sun was beginning to creep into the room and he could feel the soft cotton of the duvet on top of him. Rolling over, he opened his eyes a little and froze. He had forgotten. Next to him in the double bed lay none other than Tyler Joseph. His eyes were closed and his hair was messy, an arm draped across Josh's stomach. To his horror, he realised that both men were tangled up in each others arms, Tyler's breath hot on Josh's neck. How could he let this happen? Last nights events came flooding back to him, his mind filled with the thoughts of Tyler complimenting his cooking, singing for him, and falling asleep on his sofa.  _Why on earth did you put him in your bed!_ Josh cursed under his breath.  _Are you trying to make a fool of yourself?_  He wasn't sure. All he knew was that last night he had completely fallen in love with Tyler Joseph. 

Tyler shifted a in his sleep, drawing Josh slightly closer to his body. Josh could barely breathe. He’d never craved anyone so badly before and here he was, tangled up in the man he loved, his heart skipping beats and his mind racing. What could he do to fix this situation? _It doesn’t need fixing,_ whispered the sly voice inside his head, and Josh almost smirked. Everything did seem rather perfect with Tyler’s chest pressed up against his own, one of his legs caught up in between Josh’s. _No, stop,_ he told himself, almost angrily. _Tyler_ _’s asleep, this is wrong. This isn’t how you want things to happen._

Sighing, Josh began to move. Suddenly, he froze as he felt the sensation of lips upon his neck. His gaze snapped down in surprise. Tyler’s face was pressed into his neck, and he unconsciously dragged his lips across Josh’s skin. His mouth was parted slightly, and his lips looked pale and damp upon Josh’s neck. Josh felt arousal shoot straight down from his neck to between his legs. He cursed under his breath, barely able to believe it was happening. Surely no dream could cause this; was Tyler truly asleep? As Josh looked down in disbelief, he realised that his friend was still immersed in a deep sleep. He almost laughed. It was insane how someone so deeply unconscious was able to torture and tease him so much that he was beginning to strongly believe that hell would be easier than this. It seemed that Tyler was oblivious to his surroundings. _If only he’d do this while he was awake_ , Josh thought to himself longingly. But this wasn’t the time. Tyler didn’t feel the same way that Josh did, and Josh would never take advantage of his friendship. He loved him too much to risk the bond that they’d so easily built up.

Although his senses were screaming otherwise, Josh carefully pulled his neck away from Tyler’s mouth, trying to ignore the quiet sound that Tyler’s lips made, or the way he let out a sigh as Josh left the bed. It would have been wrong for him to stay, and he knew that. Locking the door as he entered the bathroom, Josh ran his hands through his hair. He prayed that he would never be faced with such a torturous situation again… unless Tyler wanted something to happen as well. Coughing slightly in embarrassment, he realised that he would need a particularly cold shower this morning. _Thanks a lot,_ he looked down at his body in amusement, _that doesn’t help the situation in the slightest._ Sighing for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning, Josh showered and dressed, trying to push thoughts of Tyler out of his head.

**********

So Josh had decided to dye his hair. Not only did it provide him with a change of appearance, he had thought at the time, it gave him an opportunity to impress Tyler. Staring into the bathroom mirror in critical judgement, he adjusted his now bright pink hair and checkered shirt. He bit his lip. Tyler was probably still asleep in his bed; Josh had only been gone around 15 minutes, and Tyler definitely seemed to be in a deep sleep when he’d left him. Josh’s cheeks turned red at the recurring thought of Tyler’s lips on his neck. _Stop, you can’t let him see you like this._ Coughing slightly, he entered the bedroom.

Tyler was sat on the mattress when he saw him, his hair sticking up at all ends. He raised his head when he saw Josh enter, smiling sleepily.

“Hey,” he said, and Josh smiled, a tentative expression upon his face. Would he know what had happened that morning?

“Sorry I fell asleep on your sofa last night,” Tyler continued. To Josh’s mild disappointment, he didn’t seem in the least bit embarrassed.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

“How did I get in your bed?” At this, Josh hid his blush as he remembered carrying Tyler in his arms into the bedroom. He decided to avoid the question.

“Ah you must have been really tired, I slept on the couch.” Josh shared a sad smile with himself. _A little clumsily avoided,_ he thought for a second, _but not too bad._

“Oh well,” Tyler yawned, stretching out his arms. He finally looked at Josh. “Oh hey, you dyed your hair!”

“Yeah, do you like it?” Josh asked softly. Tyler stood up, taking a lock of his hair in one hand.

“Of course,” he grinned. “It looks really cute on you.”

Josh once again felt his heart speed up at the feeling of Tyler’s hands in his hair. _He thinks I’m cute,_ Josh thought gleefully, before telling himself to calm down. _He’s only being friendly, it probably means nothing._

 “Thanks for the meal and stuff last night dude, I had a great time,” Tyler continued, and Josh felt warmth spread inside him at the sight of Tyler’s happiness.

“So did I.”

“Well I should probably get going, I have a performance today and I’ve not even showered yet.”

Josh rushed to get Tyler’s bag, feeling a little sad at his departure. His mind was swimming with the morning’s events. He could hardly believe that Tyler remembered none of it.

In the space of 5 minutes, Tyler had left his apartment, and Josh was left alone with his thoughts. He just wished that Tyler would reciprocate his feelings, but he knew that would never happen. He just couldn’t get Tyler’s face, his singing, and the way he laughed out of his head. Josh knew that he was in over his head on this one.

Pulling a hoodie over his shoulders, he walked over to the piano to drop the lid when he realised that Tyler had left his lyric book on the stand. Josh picked it up with admiration, staring at all the handwritten music notes and lyrics that Tyler had created. They were beautiful, a black scrawl of lines that held Tyler’s every thought and emotion. Josh wished he could hold onto them forever. It would almost be like he was holding onto Tyler. He missed him already.

Josh sat down at the piano stool, touching the keys lightly as he pictured the ghost of Tyler’s fingers dancing over them. He leafed through his friend’s sheet music, reading every lyric, every song with a tranquil sort of happiness. His fingers resting on one of the hurriedly written pages, Josh began to read a particular song that caught his attention. It had beautifully eloquent lyrics, and he couldn’t help but imagine Tyler singing it as he read. Suddenly, Josh’s eyes skimmed down to the bottom of the page where he saw yesterday’s date scrawled in black ink, as if Tyler had written it while he was preoccupied with something else. His mind flickered back to last night’s events, replaying their evening in his head. Immediately, he realised that this was the song Tyler had been scribbling into his lyric book while Josh wrote his latest article for the magazine. He could barely believe that Tyler had been able to write such a beautiful song in such limited time, with such limited inspiration.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Josh looked over the lyrics once more, pausing on a particular section.

**_I don’t care what’s in your hair_ **

**_I just wanna know what’s on your mind_ **

**_I used to say I wanna die before I’m young_ **

**_But because of you I might think twice_ **

Josh sat bolt upright. _T-this couldn’t be about me…could it?_ He could barely allow his mind to wander into such places, but it seemed to make so much sense. **_I don’t care what’s in your hair?_** Josh remembered telling Tyler he had plans to dye his hair a different colour, the same night that he wrote the song. Was he writing those lyrics while Josh was talking to him? He didn’t know. He glanced over the rest of the lyrics, wondering if they really were about him. **_I used to say I wanna die before I’m young, but because of you I might think twice._** It was such an intimate thing to say that Josh was terrified to assume that it would be about him. Yet who else could he be talking about? And Josh was certain that this was the song Tyler had been writing during their evening in. Josh could hardly catch his breath. Falling asleep on his sofa was one thing, but Tyler writing songs about him was another. Maybe he really felt the same way as Josh felt about him? Josh didn’t know what to think.

After half an hour of pacing up and down his living room, Josh finally decided that he had to face his feelings and confront Tyler. It was a terrifying notion, but he had no other options; there was nothing else he could do but find out if that song was really about him. He prayed to any God that existed that by some miracle, Tyler would happen to reciprocate his feelings. Grabbing his coat and carefully placing the lyric book in a backpack, Josh pocketed his key and headed out the front door. Breathing in the cold November air, he set off towards the coffee shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I left it on kind of a cliffhanger? I will be posting again v soon, please leave kudos and comments to tell me what you think :)


End file.
